Crash and Burn
by Caet Rae
Summary: Song-fic related to my original character Eve. (Complete)
1. The Beginning

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
When you feel all alone  
  
And the world has turned it's back on you  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
"No!!" Alice yelled. She collapsed onto the sidewalk.  
  
Her best friend, Adam, stopped next to her. "Alice? What's wrong?" He kneeled next to her.  
  
"Mama," she sobbed. Her next words were too soft to hear. Then her voice became full of anger. "Those bastards!"  
  
Adam understood at once. "Oh, Lis." He gathered her in his arms and they sat rocking.  
  
Around them, people continued about their business, not sparing a thought for the pair.  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
Give me a moment please to tame your wild wild heart  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
Professor Charles Xavier looked up from his work, distracted by someone's despair. He concentrated on the origin of the feeling for a moment, and traced it to a 16 year old mutant girl. He made a mental note to keep a watch on her, curious about her abilities.  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
I know you feel like the walls are closing in on you  
  
It's hard to find relief and people can be so cold  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
Later, when Alice reached her home, she found the house surrounded by police and investigators. She came as close as she dared to listen to their conversation. Her entire family had been home, he entire family was now dead. They still didn't know where she was. She intended to keep it that way.  
  
"That poor girl," said one of the spectators. "What will happen to her?"  
  
"A foster home, probably," said another.  
  
_As if._ She thought. _I'm not going to get stuck in a petting zoo for "children", and I know that's what you're planning._ She turned and walked away.  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
When darkness is upon your door and you feel like you can't take anymore  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
Six months later  
  
Alice walked into a McDonalds for lunch. Probably the last full meal she'd get for awhile. Her stash of money was down to almost nothing from the time her family had died. She'd taken to the streets to avoid a foster home and had lived fairly well since then. It had been a little cold at first, but then Spring entered, and things became a little easier. Except for the money.  
  
Shortly after she got in line, a red-headed woman walked in and stood behind her in line. Immediately, a familiar feeling flooded her mind, an overload of emotions. _Telepath,_ she groaned inwardly. She tried not to react, but the flood of emotions on her mind made her dizzy. A few seconds later, she collapsed.  
  
Before anyone could react, everyone else froze. The red head picked up Alice and carried her out. As soon as the door closed, everyone snapped into motion again, not remembering the two women. 


	2. The next day

Let me be the one you call  
If you jump I'll break your fall  
Lift you up and fly away with you into the night  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
Eve woke up in a bed, in an unfamiliar room. _Great_ she thought, _that's just what I need, a "helping" hand..._  
  
"I'm sure you do," said a male voice next to her, causing her to jump.  
  
The source of the voice was an elderly gentleman in a wheelchair. He looked friendly enough, but he was obviously a telepath. "Who are you, and why am I not passing out yet?"  
  
"My name is Charles Xavier. You're correct in assuming that I am a telepath and the reason you are not passing out is because I am shielding your mind from the effects of the proximity."  
  
"Thanks, I think." She sat up and looked around. The room was sparsely furnished, but the furniture that was there was fairly nice. It had the feel of a five star hotel room. The bed was full sized, and there were clean clothes folded on top of a chest at the foot. "Um, where am I?"  
  
"You at my school for gifted youngsters. Mutants, like you, mostly runaways. Here they learn to control their powers."  
  
_Ain't my powers that need controlling._  
  
Xavier smiled. "Indeed not, however, perhaps you could learn to shield yourself from intrusions?"  
  
"Right... and pigs can fly."  
  
"Perhaps all you need to do is let your heart heal." Xavier said.  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?"  
  
"The memory that lead me to you. That's still an open wound, isn't it? Maybe here you can find some relief from it."  
  
Eve's face fell. "I don't need help with that."  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
If you need to fall apart  
I can mend a broken heart  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
"You're among friends here." Xavier said, turning to leave.  
  
Eve didn't move for a moment. Then she whispered, "How did you know?"  
  
He paused. "I heard your scream when they died," a momentary pause, "and I saw how often you dreamed of them and felt the pain the dreams brought you. I have an older friend with a similar hurt."  
  
"Lucky you," Eve said, trying to sound sarcastic. She could tell he wasn't fooled, but she felt she had to try.  
  
"Yes, lucky me," he whispered to himself. Eve didn't hear it, nor did she see his smile as he wheeled out of the room. "I am left the hope that others have forsaken."  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
If you need to crash then crash and burn  
You're not alone 


	3. Thoughts and Dreams

Eve spent the day mostly in the room she'd been given. A man wearing sunglasses delivered lunch, but he wasn't very talkative, and frankly, she didn't feel much like talking yet. She was fighting the fear that this was one of the "foster homes" her neighbors had talked about six months ago.  
  
A bit after supper, she risked stepping into the hall, but approaching footsteps made her duck back into the room and latch the door. She sank down to the floor and cried again for the first time since the moment her family died.  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
When you feel all alone  
And a loyal friend is hard to find  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
Her thoughts drifted back to Adam. What was he doing now? She felt guilty for leaving without telling him, but she couldn't get past the memories to return to his house, and she was afraid they'd look for her there.  
  
He had been her only true friend. The one who knew about her abilities and could sympathize. The one who wasn't afraid of the truth. She had hung out with others at school until the spell in class that let her secret out, then they had abandoned her. She understood that they, like everyone, were afraid of changes, but she was still angry. How could they have said they were her friends and then ditched her?  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
You're caught in a one way street  
With the monsters in your head  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
Tears streamed down her face the more she thought about the past. A sea of memories washed through her head and threatened to drown her.  
  
_It was a bright July day. Eve was on vacation in California with her family. It was their first trip in years. Since her sister had been born, there hadn't been enough money to keep up their house and take vacations. Eve ran and played in the sand with two year old Steffy, their laughter ringing across the beach and the water._  
  
_The scene shifted to a day six years in the future. Steffy's presence winked out of Eve's mind, the effect enhanced by the nearness of Adam._ Eve covered her eyes, trying to blot out the images.  
  
The tide of memories, good and bad, kept up their cycle even after Eve had cried herself to sleep. She was struggling so hard against the dreams that she didn't notice when she was moved back to the bed.  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
When hopes and dreams are far away and  
You feel like you can't face they day  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
_She walked through a dimly lit hall. Curiosity drove her straight to the end. A closed door awaited her there. She reached for the handle, gave it a turn, and pulled it open. Out spilled the bodies of her family, her false friends from school, and on top, was one she couldn't identify, it's face being hidden by the rest of the bodies. Apprehensively, she reached out and turned it over..._  
  
"Adam! ! !" she screamed, sitting upright. She searched her mind for his life and it was strong. The relief she felt made her start shaking uncontrollably. Tears flowed unbidden down her face and she made no move to stop them.  
  
She curled up in a ball and tried to sleep. 


	4. A New Friend

The next morning was much the same as the first. She had to take a minute to remember where she was. Then she started in on the breakfast that had been laid out for her.  
  
She didn't look in the mirror after she rolled out of bed, she knew her face was tear streaked and her eyes were red and swollen. She looked like that every morning from her dreams.  
  
She walked into the bathroom and took a shower, then got dressed and started trying to gather enough courage to leave the room. She failed several times, but then she opened the door at the wrong time and a girl her age noticed her.  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
Let me be the one you call  
If you jump I'll break your fall  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
"Hi." She said. "You must be the new girl I've heard teachers conversing about."  
  
"Probably. What have they been saying?"  
  
"Nothing bad, just that you could use a friend and that you don't trust people."  
  
"What's your name?"  
  
"Melissa. Most people call me Missy, though."  
  
"Are you a..."  
  
"Mutant? Yeah, very few here aren't." Missy gestured inside the room. "May I come in?" she asked.  
  
Eve fought the urge say "no" and retreat. She opened the door wider and let Missy through. The door latched soundly after her.  
  
"What's your name? It's only fair that we trade."  
  
"Eve."  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
Lift you up and fly away with you into the night  
If you need to fall apart  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
"Pretty name. Can I ask what your powers are?"  
  
"I'd rather not talk about that. They tie in really bad memories."  
  
"Understood. Me, I've got some control over water, but I have a huge affinity for the stuff that lives in water, fish, dolphins, sharks, New York sewage, and stuff." She grinned and Eve giggled a little.  
  
She dropped all expression and became pensive. "I don't think I've laughed since..." she stopped.  
  
"Since when?"  
  
"I'd rather not talk about it." Eve was on the verge of tears.  
  
"Injuries to your heart do heal faster if you talk about them," Missy said sympathetically, putting her arm around Eve. "I would know, my mother drowned in a riptide right after my abilities surfaced. I didn't have enough control to help her. It broke my dad's heart and he died a week later. I couldn't even bring myself to run. It was lucky Dr. Grey was in town at the time. She kept me from the foster homes. I couldn't talk much for awhile, but Dr. Grey and Professor Xavier really helped me."  
  
Eve laughed a little through her tears. "Did they send you up here to say that?"  
  
"No, no. Actually, I'm skipping out on a summer class to talk to you."  
  
"I don't know that I'm ready to talk yet."  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
I can mend a broken heart  
If you need to crash then crash and burn  
You're not alone  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
"Then don't until you're ready. I'll be waiting to listen when you want to speak."  
  
"Thank you." The tears kept streaming down Eve's face, but the pure despair that had been there before was gone, it had been replaced by a speck of hope. 


	5. New and Old Stories

Because there has always been heartache and pain  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
Missy stayed most of the day. She didn't push Eve to talk about her past. They did exchange what they did and didn't like, and by lunchtime, they were both smiling and laughing. When the man in the sunglasses brought lunch, Missy called out a thank you and they went back to talking.  
  
After awhile, Eve's curiosity got the better of her. "Will you tell me about the day your mother died?" she asked. Then she flinched and opened her mouth to apologize.  
  
"No, it's alright. I like remembering. Even that." Missy said. She took a moment to gather her thoughts and started the story.  
  
"We had gone to California for a vacation, and hotel had a private beach. The day before, there had been some bad weather, and we had been warned that the currents were bad, but we still went down. My sister and I were playing in the sand and my dad was watching us. Mom had gone out for a short swim. It seemed like she was doing fine, but then she was pulled under.  
  
"Dad panicked, I tried to get the current she was in to calm, but I didn't have the control necessary. It was like the sea was hungry. It just swallowed her. I think she swam out of the current, but it had already carried her too far. They found her body beached where the depth increases quickly. I had asked some nearby dolphins to bring her in.  
  
I can't remember ever feeling that helpless." Missy paused for a moment to wipe at some tears. "Dad couldn't get over it. He stopped caring about living and we couldn't bring him back."  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"Me too."  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
And when it's over you'll breathe again  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
"My story isn't anything like that."  
  
"If you want to talk, I want to hear."  
  
"Are you sure? We could go..."  
  
"Hey, you offered."  
  
"I know, I'm just afraid. Part of me doesn't want this to heal because I don't want to forget them."  
  
"You won't. You'll remember the better times you had and every memory won't hurt so bad."  
  
Eve took a deep breath and hesitated. She looked up when the door opened. Professor Xavier rolled in.  
  
"I'm sorry, am I interrupting?"  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
You'll breath again  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
Eve exhaled and took another breath. "No," she said. "We were just sharing stories. Please stay."  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
When you feel all alone  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
"It was late December, after Christmas. I had gone to my boyfriend's house for the day, and we were walking in the park. I don't know why, but my thoughts had drifted to my parents. I think it might have been a spike of fear, but then next thing I knew, I felt them die. Normally, if they had died, I'd just have known they were gone, in the back of my mind, but Adam's power's complement mine to the point that what a telepath normally gets from me stops at me. It doesn't even affect Adam. So when they died, I felt every second of it. The fear, the pain, even the peace, but all I could focus on was my own sense of loss.  
  
"I collapsed crying. Adam understood right away, and we just sat on the ground for a long time, me crying, and him holding me." Eve paused to take a drink and blow her nose. She was crying hard again.  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
And the world has turned its back on you  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
"What I remember most was the reactions of the other people," she continued after a moment. "It was like the two of us didn't even exist. They all just kept walking."  
  
She closed her eyes. "I went back to the house, hoping, irrationally that my senses were wrong, but they weren't. It was a gang shooting, I think it was aimed at me, but it wiped out my whole family.  
  
"There were a lot of people standing around watching the paramedics bring out the bodies. They were gossiping like they were discussing a bad movie. I listened a little, hoping maybe to get some information and the first thing I heard was my name in context with a foster home. I really didn't want to deal with that, so I split.  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
Give me a moment please  
To tame your wild wild heart  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
"I lived six months on the street, until..." She broke off as Xavier interrupted.  
  
"Until Jean and I found you." He smiled. She smiled halfheartedly back. "And I'm glad we did."  
  
"Me too," agreed Missy, putting an arm around Eve.  
  
"Me three," whispered Eve, barely audible. "I think I might come out for supper. I hear there's more friends for me to find."  
  
Missy and Xavier grinned and Missy hugged Eve. 


	6. Home at last

Let me be the one you call  
If you jump I'll break your fall  
Lift you up and fly away with you into the night  
If you need to fall apart  
I can mend a broken heart  
If you need to crash then crash and burn  
You're not alone  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
Eve smiled. It was nice to be home and safe.  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
Author's note.  
  
Thank you to the creator's of X-men and to Patrick Stewart who is entirely  
responsible for getting me hooked.  
  
Eve, Missy, and Adam are all my characters. Everyone else are not.  
  
Thank you for reading and good night.  
  
Caet Rae. 


End file.
